"Autochk program not found" window won't start

Hi everyone,
I have looked into different threads that has to do with autochk problem
but it seems that mine came about differently.
Yesterday night my gf was running so sort of anitspyware or anitvirus program
and upon completion it ask her to delete a few things ( i wasnt there so
i dont know what was deleted) But after the program ask to have the window restarted the nightmare begun, every reboot an error msg would show
" autochk program not found - skipping autochk" in a blue screen with the windowxp logo. and if i leave it alone it would just restart and restart. It wont start in safe mode, and i have tried the suggestion of using a Windowsetup disc to copy the autochk file in either recovery mode or repair mode but when i did it is says "Access Denied" why is that? what other way can i at least boot into window and get her pics and files out be4 reformatting the stupid thing? she has two partitions C and D - C contain windows (w/ pics and file on desktop) and D drive is just photo and files no OS.
She has a Sony Desktop and i think she running on a Win XP service pack 1.
Any help would be great!!!!!! Thanks everyone

What that means is that your drive is corrupted. I'm trying to save a guy in the malware thread who's just about to have the exact same problem. It's not uncommon after thrashing a harddrive with malware cleanups to have this happen.

Do NOT reinstall. Do not bother with UBCD. You don't need to do any of that. Your drive is corrupted, that's why it's trying to run the chkdsk utility. Chkdsk is looking for autochk to do it's job and can't find it because the drive has no idea where it parked it right now.

Presuming your CD drive is drive D:, do the following.

Put your XP disk in the drive.
Restart your computer.
Boot off the CD
Type R to go to the Recovery Console.
It may drop you to a C: prompt right away, it may ask you to log in to a Windows install.
If it's there, choose "D:\MiniNT"
At this point you'll get a prompt
Type in chkdsk C: /r <enter>
It shouldn't ask for the autochk if you logged into the right Windows.
If it does ask for the location type in D:\i386 <enter>

Go find something to do for two hours.

When it's done it will tell you that it found and fixed one or more errors on the volume.

Type in exit <enter>

Reboot normally. If it still fails, repeat the steps.

If the chkdsk utility simply says "finished checking the volume" then you may need to use the "fixboot c:" command at the prompt.

If that fails, let me know and I'll tell you what to do next to get it booting properly again

Believe me, I do this several times a day (obviously.. I just typed that all out from memory, and I can't remember my own name half the time). There's no need at all to wipe your computer.

The chkdsk utility won't hurt it. Worst case scenario it puts the entire documents folder in a "Found" folder for later retrieval. If the drive is severely damaged such that chkdsk fails, your idea won't work anyways.

The error he's getting is a corrupt MFT (Master File Table). Piece it back together and Windows fires back up, files and all.

That reminds me of a story. I had "techs" give similar advice to a client. One of their techs said "you can recover the data". Two of them said "no you can't". The computer sat in their shop for two months.

The client brought it to me. It had the exact same error the OP has. I had it fixed, with my directions, in an hour. That's only one of many examples.

Please note CheckDisk can be easily destructive on a users entire drive (incuding all data) There are many warnings before using CheckDisk

In this case Backup is the best approach

adweston I have said this before to you. I cannot explain to you in detail, the reasons for why my technical suggestions are valid (and 100% required) Even though the majority of your posts say how you have done this before numerous times; obviously you still have limited knowledge. I cannot put this any nicer.

Actually I take great offence to that, considering that everything I've offered so far has met with positive results/feedback and been sufficiently backed up with correlating data.

Claims of "I'm right, but I can't explain why" aren't exactly productive. Actually, I find it appalling but I guess because you're "staff" you can get away with it whereas I'll merely have you threaten me with another "warning".

Here is the golden rule on every forum in the world
Do not post a totally opposite suggestion to a support users already replied response (unless that response is wrong)
Backing up will never be counted as wrong

As for me not explaining "why"
The main reason why members come here, is for answers not explanations
There is no way I can explain all the things I suggest to a member, on the multiple threads that you have questioned me. By pure forum structure this is a trust situation, where the not knowing member must trust the experienced support replies. Learning can be accomplished by going to the many member guides area: http://www.techspot.com/vb/menu31.html

Any further discussion on this type of debating experience and knowledge, should be made in the Meeting Spot as a new thread by you. Not debated on user's threads. Please note, you were the one who posted on this thread originally, telling the member not to follow my advice. Do not do that again.

What that means is that your drive is corrupted. I'm trying to save a guy in the malware thread who's just about to have the exact same problem. It's not uncommon after thrashing a harddrive with malware cleanups to have this happen.

Do NOT reinstall. Do not bother with UBCD. You don't need to do any of that. Your drive is corrupted, that's why it's trying to run the chkdsk utility. Chkdsk is looking for autochk to do it's job and can't find it because the drive has no idea where it parked it right now.

Presuming your CD drive is drive D:, do the following.

Put your XP disk in the drive.
Restart your computer.
Boot off the CD
Type R to go to the Recovery Console.
It may drop you to a C: prompt right away, it may ask you to log in to a Windows install.
If it's there, choose "D:\MiniNT"
At this point you'll get a prompt
Type in chkdsk C: /r <enter>
It shouldn't ask for the autochk if you logged into the right Windows.
If it does ask for the location type in D:\i386 <enter>

Go find something to do for two hours.

When it's done it will tell you that it found and fixed one or more errors on the volume.

Type in exit <enter>

Reboot normally. If it still fails, repeat the steps.

If the chkdsk utility simply says "finished checking the volume" then you may need to use the "fixboot c:" command at the prompt.

If that fails, let me know and I'll tell you what to do next to get it booting properly again

Believe me, I do this several times a day (obviously.. I just typed that all out from memory, and I can't remember my own name half the time). There's no need at all to wipe your computer.

Click to expand...

Thank you tech support of the forum i have tried the CD but i cant work them right, and adweston i wanted to try your method but when i got into Recovery Concole, it did ask me to log into window and there was a ("D:\MiniNT") so i chose the only one choice there "1: C:\windows
it then ask my for admin pw and i just press enter . then it was a C prompt
C:\Windows> from there i typed what u told me C:\WINDOWS>cskdsk C: /r
but after i prss enter it said "parameter not valid" what does that mean??
and so after that i try the "FIXBOOT" command, and it ask me if i want to creat a new boot sector in C:/ should i choose yes? if that doesnt work what else can i do?
DO you have a messenger or some sort so we can chat online for help?
I have MSN and AIM : let me know please thanks

Note If one or more of the files on the hard disk are open, you will receive the following message:

The disk check could not be performed because the disk check utility needs exclusive access to some Windows files on the disk. These files can be accessed by restarting Windows. Do you want to schedule the disk check to occur the next time you restart the computer?

Click to expand...

Click Yes to schedule the disk check, and then restart your computer to start the disk check.

Wait until Chkdsk finishes Checking / Repairing any faults
Windows will then either restart your computer or continue loading Normally.

Hey i tried every step until use "FIXBOOT"
i did that step it ask me if i wanted to creat a new boot sector i typed "y" what do i do then?? same thing happens i cant get the coputer to boot, is there some setting i have to go thru after i creat a new bootsector? thanks for your help

I really appreciate you tring to help me with this but i cant even boot up my window how am i gonna click MY COMPUTER or Window explorer? if there is a way please let me know

I have try so many program but i dunno what to do with them without further assisstant. what am i suppos eto get from the programs? being able to boot window normally then back up? or the program helps me back up the files 1st? i have no clue, could u explain what the programs do in detail please?? just choose one you think best would be greatly appreaciated thanksss

i have read that link before, I cant run windows at all, i cant CLICK "start" then click "RUN"
and let me double check when i type in the "chkdsk C: /f" it is after ( C:\WINDOWS> chkdsk C: /f) like this??

I have been in Revoery Console my friend, as i have posted, i have try running "chkdsk C: /r" already without luck. and what am i suppose ot do after i type "chkdsk C: /?" and i have read ALL of your post. and if i can boot it up normally without wiping my system is the best. Wiping out is the LAST thing i want to do. And i would love to know how to backup my files with those program u have suggested. but just tell me how they work plz.

And i would love to know how to backup my files with those program u have suggested. but just tell me how they work plz.

Click to expand...

I think you may need someone there with more technical knowledge than yourself to help you
I have tried to inform you of all the best options, including Repair (posted link above) Which does not remove data

I cannot help you further, as everything is already posted in this thread (Note: I decided to reply back below )
Slow down and read
And do not reply to yourself either!

it did ask me to log into window and there was a ("D:\MiniNT") so i chose the only one choice there "1: C:\windows

Click to expand...

MiniNT is either part of your Recovery Image partition created by Windows PE ( Preinstallation Environment) and normally not even mentioned (ie there's no use D:\MiniNT cannot be accessed normally anyway

I find it more confusing that you did in fact have this option
As if, he must have already known your computer would have this (as it did )

Although the Recovery partition can corrupt (ie Harddrive fault, being the most common issue) Running CheckDisk can only be done from the Windows installation partition (ie normally C in Windows) being usually option 1, in the Recovery Console

I thank you for reminding me of this original post by adweston, as it made me think, why would he post such a thing? This thread gets stranger by the moment.

------------

As my first post to you was to backup your data (4 days ago now!)
I must stress to you that this should still be your first option (especially if you may have a physical HardDrive fault, presently unknown)

Go back to my first reply and download UBCD; then create this bootable CD, then boot from it
Once the UBCD boots up, then just locate your data, and back up (using a USB drive, or blank CD\DVD)
By the way, I'm just repeating my first post still.

Anyway, once confirmed all backed up
Then you may want to run a Drive Diagnostics on the Harddrive (I would)
Depending upon the outcome, I feel you still need to re-install Windows, ideally a clean install - which means remove all partitions before actually installing Windows by your Windows Setup CD

The main thing that's explained here is that rather than a corrupt drive, something caused the drive partition to be accidentally hidden. (in this particular case, by the uninstall of Norton or the way in which the Norton GoBack utility was "protecting" the drive.)

So, the issue becomes: how do you unhide the partition so the system will boot normally again.
Sounded reasonable to me.

thanks everyone for trying to help
if worse come worse i will pay to find someone
help me the stuff i need out and then just wipe the whole thing
i still have to find a way out how to use the boot CDs
thanks everyone